Fairy Souls
by schnepomatic
Summary: In a land long forgotten, a Undead seeks to end his pain and suffering. He finds the Key to this cure, but to use it he must travel to a time in the future... *SPOILER OF DARK SOULS 2 DLC! I will not be talking with my readers, I spoil too many things that way. I will be reading all comments and messages, but don't feel disappointed it I do not respond.
1. Chapter 1

This was it. Thomas held the last crown, the end of his journey. As he gathered the Ivory Crown in his hands, he felt a small tingle in the back of his head. He was too concerned with the end of his adventure to even care, for he was ready to finally have his curse be lifted. He wore his Faraam Helm with Vengarl's Chest piece, and the Alonne Knight leggings with some Dark gauntlets. Even through his gauntlets, he could feel the power emitting from the crown. It was warm yet cold; powerful yet weak; light and dark. It was as though it felt neutral. He wasted no time in wondering about it as he used the power of the Aged Feather to leave.

In no time at all, he warped to the Undead Crypt, and sliced his way through the hollowed warriors as if they were nothing.

_"I will not become a hollowed legend" _he thought to himself as he payed to rest another poor hollowed warrior. The darkness was all around him: beconing him to stay, tempting him with false promises of peace, yet still he soldiered on. This would not be his end,

As the last Royal Guard fell, Thomas stopped to catch his breath. He was so hell-bent on getting to Vendric that he was neglecting his body's warnings. He let his body regain its full strength before proceeding down the hallway; advancing past the columns that he ducked behind to avoid Velstadt. He then crossed through the one light circle just before the Kings chamber, the ring of light Velstadt had created to keep himself from going hollow. He continued to walk, pondering to himself about all he had done for four crowns.

_Will it be over? Will I finally be rid of this undead curse? What if there is no way to end it... _All these thoughts ran through his head. Thomas was unable to speak out loud to himself due to years of being undead. He didn't know his age, or where he came from, or who he had been in past lives. All he could recall was that he came to Drangleic to free himself of his nightmare.

His immortality as an undead was a living hell. He was unable to die, unable to finally rest in peace like he had longed for. He had no friends, no companions, and no reason to continue living. However, he refused to go hollow. He refused to let someone else fight what was left of his empty body.

He claimed down the stairs into the dark crypt. Vendric's once hollowed state wandered this room, guarding what was left of his equipment. As he approached the Clothing, he felt a power sweep over him. Only moments after that he felt the power of the Ashen Mist cover him, and he faded into the past...

"Seeker of Fire, Conquer of Darkness. The gift I have given you; it is the key. The Key to end the mark of the Fire". As Vendric spoke, Thomas felt as though he was nearly at peace. Vendric had just blessed his crown with a promise to never hollow again, yet it seemed that there was more he needed to say. "With this Crown, the decline of your Sanity will be halted, and you human essence will be maintained. But, that is but one option you may choose". As Thomas heard these words, his heart began to sink. It sounded as though he wasn't done yet.

"The power of the crown will do much more than that. It can end the curse for all undead". He felt as though a firebomb had just ignited in his heart. He could end the curse? With just this one crown. He suddenly felt as though the crown in his hands was more valuable that the world itself. "But first, before I reveal unto you how to overcome the darkest journey, I will ask if you would wear the crown. As the world around you had been reborn, your soul has another item to discuss with you".

That was the strangest thing. He didn't even realize it, but his chest had swollen up with a odd feeling. It was as if it was beckoning him to wear the crown, just like Vendric had said. He didn't waste any time; his helmet was off, and the crown was upon his head. The next thing he knew, he was on his knees grasping his head.

The pain was intense. It was as though his mind had been set ablaze, and was freezing over at the same time. He cried out in pain as the sensation continued over his head. Then the pain subsided. It was there and then it was gone. As he arose from his head between his knees, he felt a new feeling swell his mind: light. All the dark reigns of his head, reigns that he didn't even know existed, were shown into him. The power of the crown was showing him a message from his soul, a message that was lost with linking the fire the first time. He was that chosen undead.

His soul showed him memories of his past self. His name was Valious the Knight. He could only remember back to the undead asylum, but from that was the start of his journey. He remembered Oscar of Astroa, the man that freed him and gave meaning back into his life. From there, he remembered his souls whole journey. From the Bells of Awakening to the Abyss in New Londo, he remembered every detail of who he once was. He was lied to.

He stood tall, clinging to his pride of the knight he once was. Emotions swirled through his body: rage, sadness, joy, pride. But above all the rest, his desire to end the curse rose above all the rest. He no longer cared about simply surviving it, he wished to free all of the world from this horror of being undead.

"Seeker of Fire, Linker of the Flame. Your soul is more powerful than the three Lord Souls combined. As any powerful soul has been, yours was returned into the cycle of fate". The words were like a praise Thomas never wished to have. He hated the curse now more than ever. Not only had he not died and rested in peace from the first time he linked the fire, he now remembered all the pain and suffering from that life, along with all the pain and disaster in this one. He was furious. But now, he had a way to only keep the curse at bay. "Fate wishes for another to link the fire. The fire will continue to cast its shadow into the world until it is all but died out. But you are not of fate. Your soul wishes to deny fate of its choices and create a choice of its own". Thomas looked up at the Old King. His eyes, the nice filled with pride and power were only filled with sorrow and regret. "There is a land, far to the east. Over the seas and far past where the Giants once thrived. In that land, in a time far distant from now, the First Flame will be at its prime again. The Flame will be filled with power, and have a fuel to last it. But as fate will be fate, the Lord Souls will escape, and the flame will soon turn to embers once again, creating the cycle of time over and over. But you, Linker of Flame, can change that". His hand then pointed straight towards the crown on Thomas's head. "The crown has the power to keep you from going hollow, but there is much more to it. If the power of the crown were to be united with the strength of the First Flame, then there would be a power in the flame that not even fate could destroy. The power would erase the shadow, and a light would shine so bright that the undead curse would be brought to light, and the Dark Soul in humanity would never again be powered by the dark. This is my last gift to you, Seeker of Fire. The gift to end the curse. Travel to the land past the Giants; journey through the fabric of time to the last flame; and then create a flame that will never die. Another will link the fire, as Faye would have it. Deny fate of its cycle. This is my last plea". And with that, the king spoke no more. His eyes, once blue in color, faded to a light grey and he returned his gaze towards the darkness in from of him.

Thomas arose. He bowed to the king, and then left the memory. He had his purpose. He had his goal. He would destroy the shackles of fate, and create a world without a curse.

Lucy walked down stairs to the basement of Fairy Tail's guild hall. She was getting a book for Levy, who was studying languages of lost dead kingdoms. She was also avoiding Erza, who for some strange reason had a undying urge to duel. Natsu and Grey teaming up weren't even a match fo her. It was like the mood she was in boosted her lust for honorable battle/victory.

As she descended the stairs in her blue jean skirt and orange tank top, she took a quick glance as she was moving downward. She saw Wendy and Mirajane searching through some books.

"What are you guys doing down here, looking through some memories?" Lucy asked in her voice full of care. Carla came out from behind a stack of books that was on the ground, holding a smaller stack in her hand. Wendy turned from looking at the bookshelf, giving Lucy a quick friendly smile.

"Hey Lucy! No, we were just looking through some of these books looking for any more support spells". Wendy then returned her gaze back towards the bookshelf that Mirajane was in front of.

"Yes, I remember reading a book with those kind of spells in it not too long ago, and though Wendy might get some useful spells out of it. Would you mind helping us look?" Mirajane didn't even take her gaze off of the bookshelf she was carefully scanning, yet Lucy could still imagine her sweet, friendly smile that always felt welcoming.

"Sure, I'll help you guys look! I just need to get Levy some books about languages. I believe it was from a book about 'Lordran'". Mirajane, in her normal red dress, pointed Lucy towards a bookshelf that was in the back corner of the room.

Thomas was resting, months since he had last left Dranleic. He was now wearing the entire Faraam set, peering into the darkness of the ruins. He was near the end of his exploration; he could feel it in his soul. Through the long journey through a land long forgotten, he was nearly at its center. He had found a temple of some sort in the middle of a weird forest full of humid heat, and a tree top that blocked the view of the sun. The temple was carved out of the side of a mountain that was already there, standing over the forest as its unspoken center piece. He had found no enemies inside of it, and by his torch walked through the beautifully crafted walls. It was also straight onward, not a maze like the other places were.

As he walked, he reflected upon his past few months journeying to get here. He had fought Giants and drakes and hollows beyond comprehension. He had found ruins of cities, monuments to the Gods of old, and even discovered many cities in a thriving state. They all had told him to turn back, yet he was compelled to thrust onward. He had also found a strange sphere of some kind: radiant in energy, yet it appeared as simply a large light blue gem. It did not glow, or react to touch, but from his lifetimes of experience had brought it along. It was about the size of a large smooth and silky stone, but not crushable by his own strength with ease.

He was so deep in thought, he hadn't realized he had entered a large circular chamber.

"Bearer of the curse". The words caught him by surprise, but had such a familiarity for him not to be afraid. The tone, the wording, and the voice all were but unforgettable. As he returned his gaze forward, there she was. In the middle of the room, in the middle of several circles embedded in the floor, the Emerald Herald, Shanalotte, stood. "Your journey in this time is near its end". Her tone was not bored. It was not a tone of despair or sadness. It was the voice of a hope long forgotten that had found strength to surface once more. "You denied the monarchy. You denied destiny. You are about to embark upon a new journey in a world that has changed so differently".

_"Why is she here? What does this have to do with her?" _Thomas was questioning everything that was held up to him at the moment. He was confused as to why he had been taken on detours by everyone, when they knew where he needed to end up.

"I know you must be angry. You've been lied to in two life times, and don't know if this is what you truly want". She sounded as though this was all she had left. She began to walk towards her. "I too have been deceived through out my life. But you deserve to have a closure; a end to your heroic journey". She removed her hood, showing her face through the torch light. He stopped walking, nearly standing with their feet touching.

She held out her hand. "The blue orb you have found. If you wish to continue, the I need it to send you to the Final Flame". He looked at her hands for a second, then into her eye. It was a beautiful brown color, with her pretty brown red hair covering her right eye. "You and I bear a great burden. To end mine, I must help you end yours. I wish you would stay; take the throne of want, and rule this land until the time far ahead of us. I wish you would steer these people so that they may love undead, and so that undead may have a place of refuge. But you don't deserve that. You were the hero of the legends. You cast yourself into the First Flame, choosing to take the path with less of two evils. I can never hope to even imagine what you must feel, so I won't bother to try and sway your choice. You wish to end this curse for all the undead, and if that means to leave this time and place behind, then I will help you". He studied her more intensely now, searching her feature for any sign of happiness. The only thing on her face was pain. He wanted to end her pain, just as much as he wished to save every undead he had meet.

He reached into his side bag, and retrieved the orb. He placed it in her hands, but he then closed her fingers around them just as she had done with the aged feather long ago. She then looked up, curiosity filled her aura. He then, pulled her close, and embraced her. She was cold, as if she had done nothing but stand in this room for a while. He didn't see her face, but he could hear water drops fall upon his chest piece, making a small ding with every drop. He knew her pain, and much more. He wished he could fix all the pain and suffering of every undead, and those affected by it.

Shanalotte didn't want to be the Emerald Herald any more than Thomas had been Valious, and he wanted her to understand that he felt her pain.

He stood there as she began to sob. She had pretended to be nothing more than another character to some cruel story, that she forgotten she was still human. Even more than that, she was a Fire Keeper. She had been a shining light to so many undead, she didn't deserve any more pain and suffering.

After a long while she finally gathered herself together, and took a step back wiping her eyes. "I am sorry. You already have a great many burdens, you need not mine". As she said those words, he shook his head. He would end everyone's burden, no matter the cost.

She finished rebuilding herself, then proceeded to look up at him again. "This will open up a portal to the Final Flame". Her voice still had not returned to its stern tone. It had kept a tone of a child that was ipset. "Before that, however, it will change you". He knew his face was full of confusion, but she continued on. "The way your magic works will change. You must find a person named Erza Scarlet. She will teach you to use this magic called Requiped, as well as to show you how the world has changed". She then placed the orb in a hole in the ground: a perfect fit. "I will also bestow upon any bonfire the power to increase yourself. In doing this, I will spread myself across all the bonfires of the time, ending my physical existence".

"_She would do that just so I could end the curse?" _Thomas couldn't comprehend this. Why? She seemed as though she read his mind.

"I will be guarding the bonfires with the very power of my soul. I will be watching over you, guiding you through the flame. This, is how I will end the my pain". She then stepped back, and waved her feather. The orb then began to glow blue, and etching in the wall and floor began to flow blue as well.

"You will also be able to gain your equipment from your first life. Question it not, for time has become a distorted thing". He felt his body begin to radiate with magic. His vision was turning blue.

"Thank you," was all he heard as his vision became all white...

"Here's another one!" Lucy held the old green book over her head. She was sitting in the corner of the basement, looking at the stack of books for any that contained support magic. The book she had just just announced was filled with spells that cured all different types of poison and toxics. As she turned her head towards Wendy, who was in a deep reading trance, Carla walked up to her, with her small white dress.

"I'll take to her. She seems to be nearly done with her book about stamina recovery". Lucy then held the book out towards Carla, who grasped it and began walking back towards Wendy.

Mirajane was upstairs, getting refreshments for everyone, so it was just Lucy, Wendy, and Carla down stairs. She started to turn back towards her book stack, when a weird line in the wall gathered her attention. It was so unnoticeable that it surprised even herself that she saw it. She reached over, and touched the line.

The wall reacted to her touch. It started to go back, and then upward. She jumped to her feet, and took several steps backwards.

"Lucy, what happened?" she heard Wendy call from behind her. Lucy turned her head towards the purple haired dragon slayer.

"I'm not sure. I saw a near invisible line in the wall, and when I touched it, the whole wall moved". She then returned her gaze towards the secret door; Inside was dark, but the room was no bigger than two of the tables upstairs long and wide. It had a weird circle in the middle of the floor, decorated with all strange writings and patterns.

_"Levy would love to look at this. I should probably go get her before any-" _she interrupted her own thoughts as she looked into the back right corner of the room. There was a pile of white ash. In this white ash, there was an elegant metal rod that was angled outward. For some reason, Lucy was drawn towards this strange altar, and took a step inside of it to get a closer look.

The room immediately light up in a light blue glow; all the symbols and patterns light up bright. Lucy quickly took a step back out of the room.

"AH! What's happening!?" Wendy was right next to her now.

"Lucy, what did you do?!" She exclaimed in a panicked tone.

"NOTHING! I walked in and walked out!" As the continued to freak out, there was a magical blue sphere that slowly began to form in the middle of the room. As Lucy glanced back into the room, the sphere was up in the air slowly descending against the floor, getting larger as it fell.

"What's that?!" Lucy was really freaking out now.

"I'm not sure, but you two need to calm down!" Carla finally had spoken up. "Whatever it is, it's starting to take form". She was right. As the words were spoken, the light blue orb began to take shape. Then, the lights faded, and in the dark there was a figure on one knee surrounded by darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness. That was all Thomas saw. It was all around him. He was unable to see anything in front of him. He felt his eyes open, yet no light entered through his helm. Then he realized that he was falling.

He was so concerned about his sight; he hadn't noticed that he moving downward. Luckily, his Bastard Sword was in its sheath, and his Slumbering Dragon shield was upon his back. He only had a torch in hand, so there he was nothing to drop if his grip slipped. As he fell, he began to reflect upon his talk with Shanalotte. He was saddened that she would be no more, yet he felt as though she needed this closure. Her job was done, why should she continue to suffer?

His thoughts were disrupted when his eyes finally saw something; a small light straight downward. It was light blue, and glowed with such power it reminded him of the Moonlight Great sword. He saw that the source of the light was an orb; much like the one he gave the Emerald Herald, only it seemed more liquefied. As he fell towards it, he felt his body begin to change. It seemed to be morphed by some magical force, like it was reshaping him. He was worried about the change; what if it removed his other magics'? That would crush him, for he had finally gathered all the spells he had ever collected, both in past and present lives. But he decided he should focus on the matter at hand: the blue light he was plunging towards.

He was nearly there. Just before he fell into the orb, he felt the unseen force finish its work on his body. The next thing he knew after he touched the orb, he was on his knee in the middle of a dark room, light coming I through an opening. He raised his head, and his eyes fell upon two girls, both seemed very young, though one was blonde and seemed much older than the smaller purple haired girl. Then his eyes met the cat. It was a white cat that was standing like a person, wearing a white dress.

Before he even had time to look into the room behind them, he felt his body begin to swell inside. He coughed violently, and began to pound on his chest to let the substance out from his lungs. As he coughed more and more, he ripped his Faraam helm off, and threw it behind him. He then allowed his body to do whatever was needed to remove the substance.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know, but stay back Wendy!"

"Sir, are you alright?"

He heard all of them speaking, two mumbling to themselves while the taller girl began to walk closer. He thought of how he could dislodge the substance. Could he kill himself? No, he had not rested a bonfire, he didn't even know if there was one around. Estus wouldn't help him, it healed rather than removes.

As he continued to wonder, the tall girl was just within arm's reach. He couldn't worry about them until he could breathe again.

"I think he has something stuck in him he's trying to remove. Wendy, do you have a spell that could help him?" He glanced upward at the girl. She was certainly not dressed like she was going to fight anyone, with a small sleeveless orange shirt and a blue patterned skirt that seemed a bit on the shorter end.

"I believe I-"

"You will not!" The cat shouted over her. "We have no idea who he is or where he's from. You may help him and he could simply skewer us with his sword. Look at what he's wearing, after all".

_This cat sure is protective of the child _Thomas thought, still coughing with a force he was surprised by.

"Carla, I can't just let him choke to death". The child seemed to have a voice that was a bit concerned and loving rather than the cat's stern and demanding tone.

"But what if he turns in us?"

"But what if he dies?!" The tall girl was now kneeling next to him; she seemed truly concerned with his well-being.

"Carla, I'm saving him". The car paused at this for a moment, and then sighed.

"Alright Wendy, but I will claw him if he tries anything". With that, Thomas's coughing seemed to reach its peak. He could no longer look up, only cough and cough and cough.

He felt a magical energy begin to start in front of him. The tall girl then moved backwards from Thomas, and he felt a soothing magic fill his body. Next thing he knew, a light blue liquid came souring from his mouth, and like magic firmed the blue sphere on the ground in front of him. As the last if it left his body, he took in a deep breath. It was good to breathe again.

He sat up a little, and looked forward at his saviors. The Cat, Carla, and Wendy (from what they said) were standing outside the doorway, while the blonde girl was still within arm's reach. He arose to his feet while they gazed upon him; he guessed they were waiting to see what he would do. He made eye contact with Wendy. She was a small child with two purple pigtails and she wore a white dress with ruffles along it and red ribbons. He then bowed to her, for he was unable to speak.

"My, it seems as though this boy has a few manners," the cat spoke.

_Boy? _The words caught him by surprise. He took a look around the room to see if there was anything to reflect his image off of. He saw nothing, but his eyes met a bonfire and he set aside his concern about how he looked, and approached the item.

"What's yo- are you doing?!" It was the voice of the blonde girl again. He didn't stop though, and was soon standing in front of his little sanctuary. He extended his left hand towards the flame, and it sparked to life. He felt the flame warm his very soul: what a lie he believed so many years ago.

"Hey!" He felt a hand grasp his shoulder and turn him about. He had to look down a bit just to look into the brown eyes before him. "If you don't mind, if like you to explain a few things to me". She spoke stern and demanding.

He reached his hands up to his throat, and tried to utter a few words. Sure enough, only a grumbled scratchy sound escaped his lips.

"Oh. You can't speak," she responded in a much sadder tone. But her eyes quickly lit up, and she turned towards Wendy. "Do you think you can fix that? I know you've already used some magic, but I'd like to know what he has to say".

_I hope she isn't too disappointed. I haven't been able to speak since before I even was on my quest to end the curse. _His thoughts were interrupted by him realizing Wendy was right in front of him. He glanced over at the cat, and it seemed like she had lost another argument.

"I'll do my best, if it's alright with you". He gave the child a nod, and the young girl put her hands together and aimed straight at his neck. He immediately felt a pain long forgotten in his neck. He grasped it, but it was gone before his hands even reached it. It was replaced with the same feeling of when he used Soothing Sunlight.

When she finished, she seemed to be exhausted, and slouched. But she quickly hid this and stood up straight.

"I'm fine, just a little tired". Her magic clearly took a lot of her stamina. The blonde girl the returned her gaze back towards Thomas.

"Try speaking now". He was afraid to. He hadn't been able to speak in lifetimes. He wasn't sure he remembered how. He steeled himself, and then opened his mouth.

"I..." he had a voice again! "I thank you so very much". The voice that he had was long forgotten by him. It was a voice of a storyteller: stern yet colorful, and deep and soothing. He had forgotten what it was like to speak, and now that he could, he could say the words that he had wanted too for decades.

"I thank thee for what you have done for me. Not only have you been able to restore my speech, you have also cured me of that foul liquid that was in my body". They seemed to be taken back by his voice. Was it the way he spoke? It must have changed in the time he traveled through. What year was it?

"Forgive me for asking, but where am I?"

"What's happening down here-?" The girls turned around and Thomas looked out into the room. Standing there was another girl. She seemed about the same age as the blonde girl, maybe older. She had pretty white hair and a red sleeveless dress that went all the way down to her feet. She was holding a tray of drinks, probably for these people he just met. She also had deep blue eyes that looked around and were filled with curiosity.

She then spotted him, and their eyes met. He knew what were behind his eyes: hatred, sadness, but we're filled with determination that would make Artorias proud. Hers were filled with kindness, sweetness, and an innocence that Thomas had long forgotten could even exist. After a moment or two of this, she blushed but kept her face firm and stern.

"Who's this? And what's this room?" The other three began to explain their side of the story, but Thomas tuned them out for a moment. He was trying to think of an appropriate response to their earlier questions. What name would he go by, Thomas or Valious? What would they want to know about why he was here? Does he ask about where the flame is? He then found the words to say.

"-and then you came downstairs," he heard the blonde girl finish. The red dress girl then looked over towards him, a bit confused but more informed.

"So then, what's your name?" He looked at them, all eyes on him now.

"My name..." He started, paused for a moment. "My name is Thomas, the Valiant. And I came to this place to begin my journey to end the Undead Curse". He said that phrase with such force and power it even surprised himself. He really did have a powerful voice. But, due to him being mute for years, he would have a hard time speaking regularly. He again pushed unneeded thoughts to the side: he needed to focus.

"My-" he heard them all speak in unison. Then Wendy approached him.

"What's an undead curse?" The words hit him like a great arrow.

"Has it not been written down in books? Has it not an issue?" he inquired. They all shook their heads. Then the blonde girl seemed to remember something.

"Hey, does the name Lordran mean anything to you?" There it was. Something to connect to. He nodded his head.

"Yes, that was the first great land. It's where the curse began. How did you come upon this name?"

"It was a book about an old legend. I just retrieved it for a friend of ours studying the written language".

_At least we haven't been forgotten _he thought.

"Would you mind coming up with us? I feel like there's a lot more to talk about". The blonde girl was asking him to venture out into the world unknown to him.

"I would gladly, but I would like to know your names first". They all seemed to take a second to realize that they had forgotten.

"I'm sorry; my name is Lucy Heartfilia, the kind".

_Now she's mocking me, great._

"And I'm Wendy, the Dragon Slayer". Now there was something much unexpected. This young girl slated dragons? This would be quite a battle to see.

"And I'm Carla, the cat". He didn't like the sass the cat had when speaking. She seemed like she was better than the rest. This surly would get on someone's nerves.

"And I'm Mirajane, the Demon". He looked at the way she smiled as she said those words. How could such a sweet girl say such a thing?

He then realized they were all staring at him, to which he bowed while saying:

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you". As they turned to leave, he retrieved his Helm from the back of the room, and retrieved the blue orb. _What have I gotten myself into...?_

He sat at a table in the corner of the guild hall, surrounded by wizards. After they left the room filled with books, he was introduced to an entire guild of wizards. For some reason, the portal lead here and no one seemed to know its origin. As he sat down with the four people he met downstairs, several more approached them. They did a quick review of what happened downstairs, and then began questioning them about who he was and where he came from. The people he had met was Natsu, another Dragon slayer with his cat, Happy; Grey, an ice wizard; Makarove, the guild leader; Levy, a word magic wizard (from what he understood); and Guajeal, another Dragon slayer. Dragons seemed to evolve just from breathing fire to being imbedded with all sorts of elemental powers, like Sinh, the Slumbering Dragon was embedded with poison. And not just that, but magic itself changed its entire principle: you no longer were limited as to how many times you had to use it, but rather how much you can use it. It would recharge on its own, very much the same as how stamina drained when used.

He was now explaining to everyone why he had come, but they seemed a bit confused, so he decided to start from the legends that Levy was reading from. She was reading it aloud for everyone to hear.

_So the history of us was recorded, but as mere legend? _It saddened him that so many died for him to ignite the flame, only to be told it was a tale of old. And the book wasn't even all about them, it was about all false legends. As she finished her tale about the Grand Flame, everyone began discussing.

"That's a pretty good legend if you ask me".

"It isn't a legend, the proof is sitting right I front of us".

"How do we know that he's the real deal? He shows up in a room we've never seen before claiming to end a curse that isn't even around anymore".

That did it. He violently slammed his fish on the table next to his helmet and spilled a few drinks. The noise boomed and the entire hall grew silent. The seemed shocked at his action, but he arose from his chair and began to speak.

"I can understand that you're confused. I understand that this is all new to you. But dare deny the pain and suffering that led me here to end this curse, I swear by Vendrick's soul that you are wrong". He did not tell it, he did not shout. He only spoke sternly and with power. "The curse subsides when the First Flame is at its peak. The curse only shows when the flame begins to die, and trick a soul into relighting it". Everyone seemed to fall silent in the entire hall. His voice boomed and echoed in such a way, it seemed as though he was a narrator of some sort. "I have come here at this time, the only undead around, to stop the cycle. I will deny fate of its cycle, and I will free this world from a curse it has yet to rediscover". And with that, he sat back down and spoke no more.

"My boy, I'm terribly sorry for the pain you seemed to suffer". The master was now speaking to him. The short man with a wild mustache and a jester hat one. "Do you require any help upon your journey?" Thomas paused for a moment.

"Yes. I need to know where to start. I was sent here with only the instruction to lead requipped Magic from a women by the name of Erza Scarlet". Silence fell to the room.

"I don't think that's a good idea right now," started Lucy, "she seems to be in a mood that to (how should I say) fight in a dual".

"Ya, you don't want to fight her," Natsu and Grey both spoke in sync. Everyone seemed to nod in agreement.

_Erza seems to be quite a scare, but if a dual is what it takes to end the curse, then so be it. _He arose, and stretched out his neck. "If it's a dual she wants," he picked up his helm. Just before putting it on his head, he looked at it, and saw his reflection. He realized why he was being treated so young: he was young! His body was the same age as the rest of them! He didn't want to think about that right now, so he slid his helmet over his head. "Then it's a dual she will get".

Everyone in the entire guild looked at him, and then all said one phrase:

"Looks like we got another victim". He sat back down, a bit angry but glad they underestimated him. He could show them his true warrior self.

"So where is the-" his words were cut short as the giant main doors were flung open.

"I WISH TO BATTLE WITH A MEMBER OF MY GUILD!" boomed the voice. A person he then walked through the door way and immediately turned her head towards the corner. Thomas arose, and stared this woman straight in her eyes. They were brown, and filled with confidence that could shatter mountains. Her hair was long and a very scarlet red, which he guessed was why her name was what it was. She had a steel chest piece that had a cross on its right side, and she wore iron gauntlets unknown to him. But she wore a skirt and black leather boots, like a girl would. She seemed to be a tough girl, like Steel-Hearted Ellie, but with the rage to match the Giants of old.

"Who are you?" she spoke in a bombastic tone. People parted the way as Thomas walked to the front of the table. Erza also walked towards him. In mere seconds, they were face to face, mere swords length apart, surrounded by everyone else in the guild hall.

"I am Sir Thomas, the Valiant, and I seek you to teach me this magic called Requip". She smirked at his response.

"Is that so? Well you'll need to battle me for it, Sir Thomas". The way she said sir seemed to mock him to his very core, but he showed no emotion of it.

"Where and when should this dual commence?" At his question, she began to smirk.

"Immediately. We will begin outside when you are ready". And with that, she turned around, and walked out the doors. Now his curiosity was filled with anger. She really thought she would win this fight like it was nothing.

With that, he raised his arm in front of him, and stroked downward. A rift opened up right before everyone's eyes, but he neither the time nor the patience to explain. He was defending his honor as a knight. He removed his swords sheath from his belt and placed it inside of the rift. He also did the same with his shield. He removed his chest piece in front of everyone as well. He figured he had no time to waste. As he did so, he could hear the entire hall murmuring to each other about him, and decided to wait on the leggings, and slid his gloves off and placed them into the rift. That's when he began to retrieve his equipment. Reached both his hands into the rift; it was about the size of a great shield, in both width and length, and had a gray light illuminating off of it. As his hands went in, it was like they were going through a portal of water as it rippled when his hands went through it. That's when it hit him: he had two life time's worth of equipment, how would he decide what to use in a timely fashion? He decided to stick with what he knew, and only used items from his current life. His hands came out already covered with Dark Gauntlets, holding Vergals chest piece. He removed his helmet and slid it over his head and strapped everything into place. He then had an idea, and as he finished strapping everything in, he moved the rift to the floor and lowered his lower half of his body in, thought about the Alonne Knight leggings he had upgraded, and lifted himself out from the rift wearing them. By this point, people were acting like a crowd in an arena, watching his magic act like he was a performer. He moved the rift back up to the space it was, and reached his hands in and brought out his Blossom Shield in his left hand, and his Lightning Long sword in his other, and strapped both into place on his body. It took him a good five more minute, but soon he had all his gear on that he wanted, and began to walk towards the door.

_This person has angered the wrong undead. _With that, he went out the door with cheers behind him. He would beat this Scarlet. He would Achieve Victory.


	3. Chapter 3

Erza was in a mood. For some untold reason, she had an insatiable lust to fight today. She already beat Natsu and Gray to a pulp, and with no one else to man up to try, she went around the town to try and calm down. She wore her normal attire: blue skirt, black boots, white shirt, and her Heart Kreuz Armor. She strolled around, looking for anything to satisfy her desire, but to no avail. She then decided to try one more time to find an actual challenge and if she found nothing, she would take a job to get some alone time. She hurried back towards the guild hall to state her claim, and she walked into the hall, gathered everyone's attention.

"I WISH TO BATTLE WITH A MEMBER OF MY GUILD!" she declared, marching in with her head held high. As she gazed around the room, she noticed a crowd of her guild mates that she held closest. As she looked more intently, she saw a figure she had never seen before. Its helmet was that of a lost metal, with a T for the sight and speech, with a metal divided along the top, went all the way from the front of its top to the back of it. The set that covered the figures body was mostly hidden by the table, but from what she saw, he had a trimming of white on top of a coat of a bluish green with another metal piece covering its chest.

He arose before her, his figure to match his armor. It must be a HE, for the way the figure was build was like a proud warrior: tall and firm, yet he had a courageous stance that also seemed to be kind hearted.

"Who are you?" she boomed. Whoever this person was had not yet met Erza. Perhaps she could taunt him to satisfy her craving.

"I am Sir Thomas, the Valiant, and I seek you to teach me the magic of Requip".

What? Why does he wish to learn this magic? Perhaps I can use that to encourage a fight. She then smirked at her idea. "Is that so? Well you'll need to win that from me in a duel, Sir Thomas". She made sure to repeat his name in such a way that it was sure to annoy him. This man surly has some kind of honor or knighthood behind him. She figured Sir and Valiant were the key to that. But to her disappointment, he showed no emotion. He asked when this duel should happen. "Immediately," was her response, and she said when he was ready and walked out the door.

I wonder what type of fighter he will be? Perhaps I should use my broadswords to open up and evaluate his style before I requip to my more powerful gear. With that on her mind, she also began to wonder why this soul wishes to learn such a magic. There were much easier types to learn, and he would need quite a lot of equipment to even effectively use it. Her she sat there for a few minutes, thinking up conclusions to this mystery, when her thoughts were interrupted by some cheering from inside the hall. She stood in the middle of the street, facing the doors, awaiting her opponent. Then the doors flung opened, and out walked the man. He wore the same helm, but everything else was different. His chest was that of a hunters, red with stains of a bear hide over white leather; deep blue steel leggings that seemed like they were from a time long forgotten; and gauntlets that seemed to represent that of a skeleton.

So he seemed to have more equipment than I thought. She made sure to smirk again as he and most of the guild came out into the streets. Soon a circle was formed around them, a proper circle for a dual. "No wonder you wish to learn, you take quite a time to change". In truth, she was rather impressed how fast he had changed his gear.

"What are the rules of this duel?" he asked through his helm. She only now realized what a deep and soothing voice he had, that of which a story teller would use. He also ignored her comment, which meant he knew how to deal with distractions.

"The first to tire loses". She then readied herself. She would be expecting whatever trick he would throw at her.

But he then bowed before her: left hand across his chest and his right leg stretched backward. This was a new thing for her. No one had ever bowed to her BEFORE the fight. She did a quick bow from the hip, not knowing what else to do. As the crowed fell silent, he retrieved his weapons: a long sword from his side, and a shield with a rose blossom upon it. The shield was covered in moss, like it became part of it. She also noticed his right hand, his sword hand, had a faint orange glow emitting from his palm, and he had a black staff upon his back, angled for his shield hand. He began to have a faint green glow cloud get him, not enough to be powerful, but it surly meant something.

They charged at the same time. She swung her swords right for his head as he used his shield to block. She stepped backward before stabbing with her left sword and arching for another strike with her right. He rolled under her blade, vanished for a breif moment before he slashed upwards, missing her body and slashing her right hand. Her arm tensed up with the pain as electricity pulsed from the steel and into her arm. She dropped her sword before taking a quick step backward. He was quick, despite his heavy looking armor, which meant he must have some strength behind him. He also seemed to possess a magic that allowed him to vanish from sight, even a breif moment. She still knew nothing about him, apart from the fact that his blade had electric magic bound within it. That was when she realized he was use to quick reactions: if he saw the strike coming, or even had a hint of it, he would evade it or counter it. That lead her with two attack options: to overpower his defense or to strike unexpectedly. She decided on both.

She put her thoughts on her Black Wing Armor, and within a matter of seconds it formed around her. She readied herself, got low, and glided across the ground at an incredible speed. She slashed from her right hip and went upward towards her left shoulder. The struck was quick, and her opponent held up his shield, only to get pushed backwards. His poise was broken and he stumbled to the ground. She took this chance and charged for another attack; and the strike sent him all the way to the edge of the circle, head first, landing on his back.

He is a better opponent than I thought. But he still needs to figure me out. He arose to his feet and turned to face her. He had picked up his shield from where he had thrown it, and placed it on his back. He then reached to his other side and retrieved another long sword. So he's dual wielding. Why don't I do the same?

By now the ring had become much larger to give them much more space. In fact, most of the town had decided to show up and watch, as the crowd was cheering with a might voice.

She placed her thought upon her Heaven's Wheel Armor, and a moment later it surrounded her. She could hear her guild mates cheering her on, but seemed Thomas remained firm. He changed his stance, readied his left sword more than his right, and stood there. He was waiting for her to move first.

Let's see how he deals with multiple problems at once. She then began to summon about twenty swords, forming a circle above her head as they spun, yet he still did not move. Then, quick as lighting, she dashed towards him, the blades charging faster than her. He then began to roll, and vanished before he hit the ground. Her blades ceased their chase, and collided where he was last seen. She slowed her advance, only to have him reappear not even a second later. He vanished for his roll, and nothing more. She was thrown off by his logic, and only slashed at him with her blades in a horizontal motion. He, much faster than she, ducked under and then slashed with both his swords, having them cross when they made contact with her. She felt the familiar sting of electricity, but she also felt a new pain: heat. Sure enough, his other long sword ignited when it touched her, causing such a strange kind of pain to swell over her. She flew backwards, and stopped to hear him exclaim a cry of pain. The rest of her swords had hit their mark, about twelve had were left after her miss, and out of the twelve, only seven had struck him in his chest. They vanished after a few moments of being there, and he grasped at it. But he soon hid his pain, and readied himself yet again.

She began to evaluate him again. He returned the idea. The crowed was now roaring with excitement. There hasn't been a fight like this in ages.

"You are quite a skilled warrior," she declared over the crowed, "you must have quite a story to tell about how you gained your skill". He nodded at her, and gave a small bow from his chest. But I must find out what to do about those swords. If they make contact with any part of me I'll feel their wraith. She thought back to how she had stumbled him. He didn't have a good enough shield to absorb the blow it seemed, and now since he had no shield...

Quickly, she requipped to her Giants Armor, and also equipped a Great sword in her right hand. The swords were simple, and had only the purpose of being swung with immense strength. Thomas seemed a bit taken back by her choice, and dropped his stance. She took this as a chance, and charged him. She slashed from her right shoulder diagonally, but was met by Thomas's own blade. She was wrong about his poise as he pairried her blade as if it had no weight to it at all. This threw Erza off balance, and she landed in a sitting position right before Thomas. He took the chance to sheath his left blade, and then slash Erza with his right blade, wielding it with both hands. Electricity once again pained her as he slashed upwards, sending Erza flying backward a few paces. She was getting really tired of getting shocked.

As she began to gather herself on her feet, Thomas sheathed his own blade and retrieved his shield off of his back. His right hand, still with a faint glow, now exploded with fire. Unlike Natsu's, his flame danced with such elegant flickering, as if it was doing a dance if the flame.

Erza changed her stance, and requipped to her Fire Empress Armor; she not only would take less damage, but deal more fire damage. Thomas, seeing her new armor, placed his shield on his back and retrieved the black stick. It was two black sticks, intertwined like a staircase, one being slightly longer at the top than the other. Then his flame hand grew big, and he slammed it into his chest. Erza saw nothing happen to him, but she was sure something had to have changed with him.

She decided to let him Attack first this time: she hadn't gained anything from her earlier attempts at rushing him. He waited for a few moments, then after realizing it was his turn he ignited the flame, and snapped his fingers as he moved his arm from his left to his right. Flame swirled very dimly right in front of Erza, every instinct she had told her to move. She charged through the flame, straight at Thomas. She slashed upwards: her blade went from the ground to above her head, striking him right up his chest. A moment later, she felt and heard an explosion, turned her head just to see the fire swirl engulf the air where she was. She returned her attention to Thomas, who was back on his feet with the black stick held close to his chest with a glowing blue light illuminating the top. She quickly dashed in a circle around him as he extended it towards her, sending a barrage of small light blue crystals at where she stood. She feared that they might hit some of the people, but saw out of the corner of her eye that they vanished just before the edge.

So those spells have a range limit... She ended up behind Thomas, and as he tried to roll forwards, her blade made contact with his back, sending him forwards across the circle, as he tumbled to a stop just before the edge. The crowd fell silent as Thomas slowly rose to his feet. She smirked; for she knew that with a strike like that he must be in pain. He turned again to face her, but he held stick close to his chest once again. She braced herself for any projectile, but as he raised it high above him lightning exploded all around her. She glided across the ground, praying she was able to predict the next strike.

After a few seconds of this, the ground ceased to explode. She relaxed for a second, before returning her attention back towards her opponent. He had put away the wand and let the flame grow small as he held with both his hands a great sword with a brilliant blue green shade that was so perfect it was indescribable. It was large, probably as tall as Thomas himself, with a thick blade. It seemed to be radiant with a magic energy of some sort.

So, he's bringing out the big toys? Erza quickly decided that it was time to end this fight. She thought of her Purgatory Armor, and without a second delay it was upon her. She felt the power radiate through her as she readied herself. This is where the dual ends.

Thomas seemed to feel the power of her armor, and took a step back. But as fate would have it, he charged. She also charged, ready for a clash of blades. Within a matter of jiffies, they clashed their blades, strike after strike and angle after angle. They seemed to be evenly matched with their special weapons. He stepped backwards as her blade slashed, as she deflected the blade during his turn.

While they fought, she began to wonder where the blade had come from. It certainly had not been there earlier, nor could he have hidden it before the fight. Sadly, she put her thoughts on hold as she slashed downwards. But he somehow was able to swing his blade faster than hers, and she was parried once again. She was knocked off balance as she fell to her left, her back towards him. Unfortunately, fate was not in her side. As she went to turn her body, she saw something leveled with her head. The blue light slammed her head, and she went sailing backwards, nearly hitting the crowd edge. She was now on her back, and as she sat up she saw Thomas swing his blade. A slash of blue and green cut the air, and a stream of light came saying towards her. She rolled to her left, and just missed the vertical slash. As she arose, she noted his new stance. This wasn't over yet though. She then charged.

**So I feel as I should tell you guys what I'm doing. I plan on releasing a new chapter every other Wen. This gives me time to write, edit, peer edit, and finalize my writing. I want good things to come, and I'll do my best. If for some reason I'm late at posting, I will not post until the following week. Thanks for reading, and be sure to come back for more.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Twas the Day before Christmas**_

_** and all in the while**_

_**A writer was working**_

_**to publish this title.**_

**_This LONG over due part is done and ready for reading. I would like to apologies about how long it took. I hate filler and want to avoid it, but I still need to build relationships as well as character development. Also, this is the 5th time I re-wrote this. If I don't like it, I will not publish it. Thanks for reading, and I hope the next part comes quicker than this one did. _**

Thomas was near the end of his endurance. The crowd cheered as Erza was slammed by his shield, and she returned the favor with a kick to his gut. He was immediately burning with pain, but he simply toughed it out. He had dealt with worse.

Erza equipped to her original set; probably because she didn't want to waste any more energy and have to yield. It's funny how much endurance she had. Not only did she match his skill, but she nearly went the distance with him at every turn.

He returned to his fighting mind, and raised his wand above his head. Nearly instantly a Sunlight Spear was formed, and he cast it with all his might. Erza had, for the past few minutes, focused on nothing but parry and he was getting nowhere with his blades. They had been fighting nearly a hour by now, and Thomas had become weary. Based on the Dueling Code of a Knight, he refused to drink any Estus or heal, unless his opponent did first. It was quite strange; he wasn't behaving like his normal self. He was a swordmaster, not a knight, yet his thoughts and actions constantly returned to honor and a sense of companionship. It was like...

He had no time for those thoughts now. So with that, he needed to end this quickly; his mind came to his Lighting Miracles. Nothing too powerful, yet not too weak. The basic Sunlight Spear would fit perfectly.

He had sheathed his swords, and now we're back to where he is casting his first spear. He had deduced that she would see him create it, so his bets were on that she would doge to her left (she seemed to constantly move in that direction). With that in mind, he threw it to his right just a tad. The nice thing about Sunlight Spears, is that the when they are cast they'll "follow" their target, so if he helped it along just a bit, it was almost a guaranteed hit. Sure enough, she dove straight into it, the spear slammed into her face full force, causing her to slide on her side backwards, just stopping at the edge of the ring. She held one hand upon her blade, the other holding her face as she arose to her feet. He needed to hurry, or he'd miss his chance.

He quickly grew another from his hand and threw it for her once again. Unfortunately, she had seen this coming and rolled towards it, rolling right under it and kept her momentum arose to a full sprint. Thomas knew he had no strength left to avoid the attack, nor could he try another Sunlight Spear. His only option was to deflect her attack, and from there he was out of ideas. _I'll cross that bridge when I get there. _

She slashed from her left hip upward towards her right shoulder with what seemed to be as much strength as her body would allow. With nothing else to use, he used his whole body to shift around her right with the Black Witches Staff to deflect her strike. They both seemed out of energy, and as Thomas was thrown off balance by the strike, he saw Erza in a similar state. _Good, maybe this will end in a draw. _With that, his left shoulder slammed into the ground and he slid for a foot before coming to a dead stop.

He was full of exhaustion and pain, yet there he went trying to get back to his feet. His body ached with every cheer and shout of the crowd as he sat up. He looked over to his opponent, who was also struggling to regain her poster. With a sigh, he sat there watching her struggle on her hands and knees to arise higher than merely that, but to no avail. Thomas chuckled to himself. He knew that the fight was over. There was no point in continuing, so he held his hand up to the crowd. Slowly but surely they saw him, and eventually fell silent as they stared at the contestants. Only the sound of Erza struggling could be heard, and what a sound it was. A true warrior that would give everything she had just to win. Thomas cleared his throat and began with his bombastic form of speech. It was good to be able to talk again.

"It seems as though we both are beyond fighting right now, wouldn't you agree?" Erza turned her head in his general direction; her eyes burning with passion and determination to win. After a moment, they filled with excitement for the briefest of seconds before changing into a soft state of rest.

"Perhaps you are right, Thomas. It seems like I've underestimated you, and that next time I'll not go easy upon you". She smirked as she spoke those words, but Thomas simply laughed it off.

"Is that so? Well we will see next time for sure". The crowd began to cheer. It was over. Not only had he gone the distance with this girl, but she was considered a Titan among the magic users. She was feared throughout this Guild, and now Thomas had made it clear that he was also no force to be reckoned with either.

The crowd stormed them, helping them on their feet, cheering and shouting as if this was one big party. Thomas pulled away from the hands that held him up. He didn't like this feeling of praise and encouragement. He liked going out and finding adventure for the sake of it, but if needed he would arise to the occasion. He chuckled at the irony of it: he was here all because he sought adventure, but that journey had led him to find the end of a curse that gave him the chance of a endless legend. Why had this never crossed his mind before?

He was ripped from these thoughts as his body began to give way to the weight of his own self. He was being pushed around in the crowd not able to keep himself steady. He needed to get to a point where he could drink his Estus, and then he would find the Scarlet and learn of the requip Magic. THEN he would determine what he truly wanted to do.

He looked around surfing the crowd with his eyes to find a way back to his bonfire, but he saw no way through the ocean of people. He was once again being pushed and shoved around in the crowd, losing all sense of direction. He was struggling to push his way through, but it seemed as though every single person wished to either pat him on the back, or try and get through to Erza. He began to think it was pointless in trying to fight the crowd; seeing as they had numbers on their side. Then, as bell from the dwarves tower had just been rung, the crowd all made their way into the guild hall, Thomas being caught in the wave as they flooded in through the doorway. Moments later he saw the door to the room from where he had come from: his chance at escape. He wasted no time.

His shield was in his hand in an instant, and before anyone of the crowd could react to him, he held it in front of him and put the last remaining bits of his energy into creating a forward momentum. People soon were being pushed aside and being unable to stop, he slammed into the door. Before he collapsed to the floor, his right hand grabbed the handle and he thrust the door open. He then (really about to regret his decision), began to fall down the stairs he had forgotten. With a loud clank of his armor, his back was on the ground as he stared up at the high ceiling. His body began to shout at his very soul with agony as he rested. It was minutes (which felt like hours) before he gathered the strength to reach back into his pouch and bring forth his blessed drink of fire. The second he began to pour out the liquid flame his body began to react with strength and power. His scratches closed, his energy returned, his very essences itself was that of which challenged all of Drangleic and won.

He jumped to his feet, and then glanced over to where he had entered this time from. The bonfire looked so brilliant with the memory of the challenge he had just dealt with. He strolled over towards it, reviewing his battle with this Erza. Her magic of requip was that of pure fantasy to any undead of any time. He had a strong desire to become a student of it and to add it to his endless skills to banish the dark.

_Do I really wish to banish it? _He stopped dead in his tracks. He was within arms reach of the fire, yet he dare not take one step closer. Where had that thought come from? He surveyed the room, examining every corner and wall for a unsettling object. Perhaps there had been some change that caused this sacrilegious thought? Unfortunately, nothing was changed. The room was just as strange as he remembered it, over an hour ago.

_Is the flame truly what this world needs? _The voice in the back of his mind. It was as if there was a part of him that had been dormant until... He felt as though he should understand what caused this reemergence, yet his mind was blank.

_I was you back when you were a Darkwraith. We use to be as one. We drained the humanity from so many other undead. We fought against the Moon Blades and were able to keep sain. We were once the blade of the dark: cutting through the light with our power and might. _He was at a loss of words. His memories of this came flooding back into him. He remembered the pleasure he felt in stealing the humanity of others. He remembered the sensation of hiding in plain sight, waiting for the moment to pounce. He remembered the rush of a random invasion. It may have been the darkest part of his old life, be sure remembered the joy of it all.

_You see? Even now you remind yourself of all the joy of those glorious times. WE CAN RETURN TO THAT STATE OF ADVENTURE MY FRIEND! The flame is no more than a time of extension. If you make it eternal, then men will never achieve their full potential. Man was born in the dark, and that is where we must return to. And who are you to create an eternal power while trying to rid your own eternal gift? _Thomas didn't like it. He didn't like this voice in his head making sense. He didn't like the sudden appearance of this voice out if nowhere. He most certainly did not like how it was trying to make him remember things without him remembering them for himself. However, every word that formed in his mind was creating another point of view that he had failed to observe before. It was as if he had forgotten apart if himself.

_**Stop this, I beg of you. **_These set of words pierced through his mind like a great now through leather. It was a small and simple voice, yet the power he felt from it echoed through his body. Unlike the other voice, this new one was not of his mind, but seemed to speak from his heart. How this was possible he had no clue. Then again, the rift he found on his journey from Drangleic to here was another unusual item. Like the voice, it confused his previous understanding of how things worked. The rift allowed him to change his entire armor set and gear, but only with one use a day. Requip will soon replace this, but it was still useful for the journey and may be useful in the future as well.

_**You must listen to your soul, my friend. The darkness within it was removed a long time ago and has not yet returned back inside it. For both of our sakes, I beg of you. Listen to your own desire, not one of the Abyss. **_The second voice spoke as if he had known Thomas through his whole journey. This voice felt as if it had been there this entire time through his Drangleic journey, yet he had simply ignored it. Whatever these voices were he wanted to be sure they were truly of him and not some other outside force. He decided to ignore them both for now: he had too many things to worry about at the moment.

He sat down at the bonfire, and immediately both voices subsided. His Estus still in hand, held it to the fire to refill its previous power.

"So this is where you ran off too". This was the voice of that girl, Lucy. Thomas turned his head around to see a small group of people before him. He arose to greet them, and once he was turned to look at them he saw it was Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, and Erza (along with the cats he didn't care for).

"So there was a hidden room down here all this time?" Erza spoke. She took a step forward, her being to the far left of Thomas.

"Yeah, me and Wendy kinda opened it, then he showed up".

"That's really cool!"

"Yeah Happy, it's like he's a time traveler!" They all continued to marvel at the idea of that. They seemed so full of life and energy, it was hard to believe that this was the same world that Thomas had been a part of so long ago. There was nothing more than despair and hope from all his memories: even the Great Solaire had succumbed and had gone hollow.

"What a majestic fire". All conversation stopped as Erza said these words. Thomas looked at her through his helmet.

_"You have no idea" _he thought to himself. She took a step closer to it.

"It's a powerful flame: full of life and hope, yet no smoke or ash escapes its power. It truly is a magic of old". Thomas was taken back at how descriptive she was. It was like she had a gift for small details.

She took another step closer: her gauntlet stretched outward to feel the heat.

"So just out of curiosity, can I eat it?" Thomas whipped his head to look straight into Natsu's eyes. They were filled with curious intention. Thomas would have said no, but after hearing about the kind of magic this guy uses...

"Let's not test it. We don't know what kind of power this flame holds, and if rather not lose a friend over curiosity". Erza had broken her gaze from the fire and was looking at Natsu as well. Thomas very well knew the power of the flame: every Estus drink he had used rejuvenate him. But perhaps she was right. It might not be the same magic type, and could easily over-fill his body.

"Yeah dragon breath, as funny as it would be, I'd rather not see ya go". Natsu shot a look over to Gray filled with annoyance.

_"Pride hurt" _was Thomas's only thought. He looked back over towards the flame, but something else caught his eye. Just past the flame, there were three boxes up against the wall he hadn't noticed before. With all the commotion, how could he have. As he heard argument behind him he walked past Erza and was soon over them, his back to the flame. He smiled as soon as he saw their detail: they were his original bonfire-boxes.

He opened up his repair box, seen how Andre had sold it to him along with the blacksmith kit just to its right. He also remembered the bottomless box to his right, how it stores all of his items he need not carry. Just as it name states, it was blessed with a magic to have no end to what it could store.

He felt Erza's eyes staring at him, and she was soon squaring just next to him to see what raised his excitement.

"What are those?" was her question. Smiling to himself, he went and explained what each and every box was and how he had used it. All the while he could still hear those two arguing behind him about who was right or who was better. It was only when they started to make threats about proving it right there did Thomas shot his attention back over. He arose, calmly walked over to them. He hadn't realized it before, but he was a good head taller than the both of them. He grabbed Gray in his left hand and Natsu in his right and yanked them off their feet.

"Let me make this clear. If you endanger the fire behind me in any way shape or form, I will be forced to defend it," he then moved his head closer, and in a calm yet menacing voice, "and I will not be using my rules of a duel. I'll be forced to use my methods with the same mindset of fighting a god. Understand?" He could see the fear in their eyes. The both began to shake, nodding their heads rapidly as they coward back from him. He released his grip. "Good. Now then, with that made clear, I wish to know about this time I am now in. I want to learn and understand what I have missed". Lucy and Wendy seem to light up at this.

"Let's go get Levi! She'll know what to tell you". The way they said that in unison was a bit frightening. Erza then spoke from behind him.

"Yes, and I would like to ask some questions of my own. I wish to know more about this stranger of time"...

"So this Estus can heal you of any wounds?" Erza questioned. Thomas nodded his head.

"It is the power of the flame itself and a favored drink of the undead".

"And you," Levi cut in, "you truly are an undead?" Thomas nodded his head.

They were back upstairs, sitting at the corner table once again. They questioned, he answered. Then he questioned and they answered. But he asked so many about the world, he figured he best let them know everything he knew.

Once they made it back up, he was relieved to see that the crowd was gone. He hated praise, crowds, and more importantly: being unable to defend himself without seriously hurting anyone.

"So what's it like," Lucy now was the one to speak, "what's it like to be undead? You must have a thousand stories to tell since you've been alive for over thousands of years". These words made his heart sink. He had removed his helmet earlier, so it seemed like she could see his facial expression.

"Imagine just that: living forever. It sounds like a treasure for normal men, a way to never die, and to keep learning and change the world how you see fit". The words felt sour as they left his mouth. "Keep that in mind as I explain how the world works, or use to work. To come to your journey's end, you had two options. The first is death. That may sound grim, but I can assure you it's a blessing I no longer have". He paused for a moment to let it sink in. It seemed as though they couldn't wrap their minds around why. He expected that, and was ready to give them the truth of it all.

"The other way to come to a journey's end is to crack and go hollow. Hollowing is a slow decline of your spirit until you lose all hope. Without hope, your body becomes a husk of its former self; having your soul die and leaving your body to rot with its muscle memory to guide and attack, endlessly searching for that which it no longer has: a soul". Their looks changed from confusion to shock. There was now silence in the once noise filled hall, yet he continued his tale of twilight. "Anyone can go hollow, but for undead it is the only option. There is no death for a deathless; a lifetime of pain and suffering, losing all that dare get close. It truly is a curse unlike any other: to feel the pain of death over and over again, yet to never experience it's sweet relief".

"That's horrible". It was Wendy that spoke up first. The tears that seem to well up around her eyes made something inside Thomas stir. It was neither pain nor despair, but sadness did he feel. This was an emotion he long ago shut away to save his heart of any more pain, yet here it was again: resurfacing at the sight of this little girl's tears.

"That's not fair". Lucy was the next to speak. Her face seemed to have the most horrid idea of what it must be like to be undead.

"That's not right". Natsu had hints of anger in his voice. "What's the cause of such a horrible curse? What's its purpose?" The two questions Thomas had been asking in both of his lifetimes. He had the answers, but wasn't sure if this was the time to explain them.

"Those questions," he began, "are the very same questions I sought to find through both of my journeys. It seems as if I'll need to tell my story to all of you for you to get the whole picture of what my final journey is". Natsu nodded in response, then the entire hall spoke up.

"A story? Is there gonna be romance?"

"Is booze in it?"

"What kind of story?" He smirked at all the different responses.

"It's a story unlike any you've ever heard, for I am the last of the undead. If I succeed in my current quest, then I will end any chance of any undead to walk the earth in agony again. This is the tale about a man who starts off his story in a state of despair, but the story begins long before that. This is the Curse of the First Sin".


End file.
